Checking In
by mtngirlforever
Summary: Med 2.17 inspired. Jay keeps checking in on his brother. One shot


**Inspired from Med 2.17. While it was a good episode I felt it was lacking some things especially the brothers Halstead so here ya go :)**

 **Checking In**

After clearing the scene with Goodwin, Jay went in to see if he could talk to any witnesses. He made a note to check in on his brother before he left knowing how Will would handle this.

While Will never mentioned Wheeler being his resident, Jay knew as an attending Will would be in charge of him in the ED and would probably be blaming himself. He'd been there before so he understood and he promised himself he'd check in with Will throughout the day.

After finishing up, he headed back through the ED in search of his brother but found Natalie first. While Will was dating and living with Nina, and Jay liked her and thought they were good together, he also knew Will never really got over Natalie and still had a thing for her.

After reassuring her it'd be ok, he continued on his search for his brother. He was with a patient and Jay really needed to get back to file the paperwork so he left a message with Maggie to have Will call him.

After filing everything at the district he still had not heard from Will. While slightly worried his brother was going to avoid him, he also knew they'd been pretty busy when he left. He sent him a text telling him to call when he had a free minute.

"What's up?" Erin asked quietly after seeing the worry lines grace Jay's head.

Jay nodded towards the break room and she followed. "I think Will's gonna avoid me," he said pouring them each a coffee.

"Why?" Erin asked confused.

"Because he's not gonna want to talk about what happened today."

Erin was quite for a bit sipping her coffee as she took in the worried expression on her boyfriend's face.

"What?!" Jay asked when she was quite for too long.

"And you would wanna talk to him if the roles were reversed?" she asked.

Jay scowled at her answer knowing she was right because he didn't talk about anything traumatic unless she pulled it out of him. She only knew bits and pieces of his Ranger days because he'd wake from nightmares occasionally and she'd make him talk about it.

"I'm just saying. You wouldn't openly come to him wanting to talk about it. And you two are a lot a like so I doubt he's going to want to openly talk about it either."

Jay nodded taking in her words knowing she was right. While Jay pushed it all day and threw himself into hard work to shut off his brain, Will pushed it down and partied. Even though Jay had watched him grow up in the last year, he couldn't be certain Will wouldn't return to his old ways tonight. He had to make sure that didn't happen.

At the end of shift, he still hadn't heard from his brother so with little prompting from Erin he headed over to the hospital to see if he was still there. Luckily he saw Will's car out front so that made him feel at least a little better knowing he was still at work. He headed into the ED and greeted Maggie.

"Hey Jay. What can I do for you?" she asked.

"What time is Will off?" he asked her looking around to see if he saw him.

"He was off fifteen minutes ago. Want me to page him?"

"No thanks I'll find him," Jay said turning to walk past the employee break room. He didn't see him there so he kept wandering the halls when it hit him. He raced to the top of the hospital and sure enough there stood Will next to the railing looking out across the city.

Jay walked out and stood beside him giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You never called," he said after a minute.

Will still didn't say anything as he gazed out over the city they both loved. "I was worried," Jay tried again.

Will finally looked at him and Jay could clearly see the guilt and self blame in his brothers eyes. "Will…." Jay started quietly before Will shook his head no.

Jay had been in his place before so to say. Men under his command had died and there had been nothing he could do about it. He understood where his brother was coming from, but he also didn't want to see Will fall into the same place he had been.

"Dr. Charles said today that we think if we push our feelings down hard enough they'll disappear. But they don't…. No matter how hard we try, they're still there."

Jay had never been more proud of his brother than in that moment. Will wasn't going to revert to his partying ways. He had truly grown up. Jay grabbed him in a tight hug to hide the smile on his lips.

"Come on, beers on me," Jay smiled as he released him.

Will nodded and followed him down to break room to get his stuff. They headed over to Molly's and Will snagged a booth in the far back corner. He was in no mood to deal with anybody tonight, but for Jay's peace of mind he was here. Jay joined him in just a minute with two beers.

"I know today was hard and I know you're blaming yourself and feel guilty, but it's not worth bottling up," Jay said after a few sips.

Will nodded and pondered over his words. He wanted to be a smartass and ask Jay who he'd shared his demons with, but he wasn't that guy anymore. He was building his relationship with his brother not destroying it.

"He wasn't my resident, but he was you know? In the ED he was still under me. He'd had a few screw ups, but we all do. Hell look at me. I'm the perfect example of screw up."

"Will…." Jay started but Will just shook his head no.

"I never considered ending it. Never. And the fact I've worked with this guy for eight months…. Eight months Jay, and I never knew he was in that much pain…. Hell what kinda doctor does that make me?!"

Jay was quite for a minute sipping the beer as he chose his words carefully. "Will you're a damn good doctor. You've had a few screw ups and set backs, but you care! You bust your ass to get the job done and save someone's life. You're a good doctor."

Will's hands fiddled with the label on the bottle spinning it as he picked at it. "You don't even know why I did this," he said after a few minutes.

"Did what?" Jay asked confused by his brothers words.

"Became a doctor."

"Because dad wanted you to," Jay said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No Jay, that's not why," Will said finally looking his brother in the eye. "That's what I wanted you to think because I was an immature ass back then that tried hurting you for leaving. And I know I did so don't try saying I didn't."

Jay nodded keeping quite giving Will the chance to speak his mind.

"I was never more proud or jealous of you for standing up to dad and doing exactly what you wanted in life. At the same time I was hurt you were just leaving but I understood. When mom got sick and I couldn't help her, I didn't know what to do, so I ran. Partying helped me forget that I had abandoned you both and left you to deal on your own when I shouldn't have. When I finally got my shit straight in med school, I found my true reason for wanting to be a doctor. I wanted to help people like I couldn't help mom and I wanted to make you proud."

Jay stared at his brother across the table. "I am proud of you Will. So damn proud. You've done amazing things at Med and while you've still had a few screw ups you learned from them."

Will nodded knowing Jay meant it. He knew it took a lot to make Jay proud and he didn't want to screw that up. He wanted to keep that relationship with his brother not matter what.

"Happy topics," Jay announced after several minutes of quite. They kept ordering rounds as they discussed baseball and hockey. After about the eighth round, Will laid out a slew of confessions about his feelings for Natalie making Jay laugh.

"It's not funny," Will eventually slurred.

"Yes dude it is," Jay slurred back still laughing.

After the ninth round, they heard a familiar voice at their table.

"Hey good looking," Jay said reaching for Erin making her roll her eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked slightly confused.

"Seems you two need a ride," she said as the boys realized how quite and empty the bar had gotten.

"Damn Herrmann why didn't you kick us out," Will asked making both the boys laugh and Erin roll her eyes.

"Heard it was a hard day and knew you two needed it," he shrugged.

"Thanks," Will laughed as Erin helped Jay up and then Will. They were both laughing and giggling and definitely drunk.

"Ok you two a little cooperation," she said trying to get them in the car.

"Hey Erin," Wlill said as he fell into the backseat.

"Yes?" she asked after walking Jay around to the passenger seat.

"Convince Jay to let me stay on the couch, pretty please," he slurred asking like a child. Jay just laughed harder at Erin's third eye roll.

"Sure, but just tonight," she said not wanting to take a very drunk Will to Nina's place. While she liked Nina, Jay had kept Erin informed on Will's true feelings and she knew he would more than likely spill his secrets in his very drunk state. Nina definitely deserved better so she took both brothers home.

They were gonna have a hell of a hangover the next morning for sure.


End file.
